First Division clubs have labelled the deepening crisis in Irish football’s second tier as ‘beyond belief’ and a ‘complete joke’.
As expected, a revised First Division fixture list has been released by the FAI this evening, just four weeks before the start of the season.
It was done on the back of last week’s High Court decision that Limerick FC are entitled to apply for a licence.
The troubled Munster club had been replaced in the second tier by Shamrock Rovers II, much to the consternation of the First Division Alliance.
As Mirror Sport exclusively revealed today, First Division clubs have since discussed the prospect of a mass withdrawal from the League of Ireland.
“Every option is being discussed, including the nuclear one and there are a number of people willing to press that button,” said one source last night.
The initial First Division fixture list saw 10 teams - including Rovers II - play a 27-game regular season with playoffs thereafter.
But the new schedule includes Limerick FC in an 11-team league with a 20-game regular season to be preceded by a Shield competition.
The ‘Shield’ sees teams split into two groups with five series of games played between February 21 and March 20.
According to the new fixture list, the First Division season proper will then kick-off on March 27, with one team receiving a bye each week.
A First Division club official told Mirror Sport: “What is the point of a Shield competition? Nobody signed up for that, nobody wants it.
“Clubs are scratching their heads at how this mess has been allowed to happen.
“The First Division is being shown nothing but contempt and quite how any of this is designed to improve football in this country is anyone’s guess.”
Clubs will discover on February 6 if they have got a licence for the season ahead with Limerick FC up against it to satisfy the licencing committee unless investors are found.
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